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Thursday, 10 August 2017

South Bound.

We were off promptly at 0900 and headed down to the services a little further down the canal. It had been chucking it down before we set off, but had eased to a thin rain by the time we were out and about.

We topped up with water by sitting on the corner as there was another boat on the mooring on the berth ahead of us. We mainly wanted to get rid of all our accumulated rubbish. We weren't very long and by the time we had got going again the rain had stopped.

By the first lock, Rhodesfield, there is a campsite that in the sun looked quite appealing again. We used to have camping holidays every year and it made me somewhat nostalgic. I think I prefer narrow boating though.

I love the old carvings on locks. These Roman numerals on the bottom wall of Oxclose Lock, where the cut enters the river give an idea of how high the river can rise. It was well into the green today where as when we arrived it was just in the amber so the river appears to have fallen about 8".

The pylons carrying the electricity grid over the River Ure is a style I can't remember having seen before.

Having passed Westwick Lock we came to Newby Hall where in 1869 a foot feery that was manned by the Hall gardeners were taking some horsemen from the Ainsty Hunt across the river. It capsized due to being over loaded and four of the huntsmen were drowned. We zoomed past the village of Roecliffe where the church of St Mary's is the villages claim to fame as although built in 1847 is thought to be the only church in the country with an entirely vaulted roof known as a wagon head. The churches marble floor and steps to the chancel were part of the floor before the high altar of York Minster.

We were soon approaching Boroughbridge once again and passing the Marina you can see the weir and the cut leading off to the Milby Lock.

On the north side of the canal cut is the village of Langthorpe. My Mum's family name was Langthorp (no e), but not connection. It was the site of Warwick's Anchor Brewery that was built in 1856 as a tower brewery, one of the first of the type. This is when all the processes were started at the top and gravity was used to move the product from process to process down the tower. Next door was Sanders and Smith's Maltings. The brewery closed in 1926 and Anchor Marine Stores took it over. The maltings became a laundry. All these have left and they have all been converted to housing. The original brewery tap The Anchor still exists though.

The trip from Milby Lock Down to Swale Nabb, where the River Swale joins the Ure seems to me to have the highest concentration of kingfishers I have ever seen. They were dashing about all over, but no stopped long enough for me to get a photo. This foot bridge crosses the Ure to join the two sides of the Aldwark Manor Golf Course. It has a single span and I would love to see how they fixed it in position. Did they use a crane barge? There are no footpaths marked on the map but local walking routes say you can use it.

Aldwark Church, St. Stephen's, was built in 1854 and is quite small and is quite round in shape. It was paid for by Lady Frankland-Russell of Aldwark Manor.

I was looking to see the entrance of Ouse Gill Beck to the river to indicate where the River Ure becomes the Ouse. I am pretty sure that this is it.

When I turned round and looked over at the east bank of the river I saw this sign. Pretty conclusive I think. I didn't see it at all when heading north.

After Swale Nab you start to see all the RAF training aircraft from Linton on Ouse airfield. Earlier I had seen them practicing formation flying but as we approached I think a group of three planes were doing bumps, taking of, flying round touching down and immediately taking off again. The aircraft used here by 72 Squardron is the Shorts Tucano that is built under licence from the Brazillian Company Embraer. It was selected in 1989 to replace the Jet Provost as the plane for basic jet training. The pilots complete about 130 hours in this plane at RAF Linton before heading to RAF Valley and the Hawk trainer.

As you approach the weir, the orange floats are just appearing in the distance you may miss the the cutting to Linton Lock. You would certainly pass it and have to double back if the sign wasn't there.

We called it a day here and tied up on the pontoon before the lock at the very end. By the evening the pontoon was full.